U.S. a Hot Spot for Chinese Grad Students

Chinese citizens continue to pour onto U.S. college campuses, now comprising 37% of all international graduate students here, according to a new report out Thursday from the Council of Graduate Schools.

The report, based on fall 2012 enrollment data from 265 U.S. schools, found that the number of first-time enrollments by Chinese students increased by 22% — the seventh consecutive year of double-digit growth. First-time enrollment tracks students just starting their degree programs; because many master’s and doctoral programs last multiple years, the figure is a reliable indicator of longer-term enrollment trends.

The schools included in the report conferred 64% of the nearly 97,000 graduate degrees awarded to international students last year, so they present a convincing picture of the graduate-student landscape.

Business and engineering saw the largest gains in first-time enrollment by international students, notching increases of 15% and 12%, respectively. Last year, they reported growth of 9% (business) and 6% (engineering). Nearly half of all first-time international enrollments are now in those two subject areas.

Many of the gains are likely the result of surging demand by Chinese students, who still see a U.S. degree as attractive even as their local schools gain in global reputation, says Jeffrey Allum, director of research and policy analysis at the Council of Graduate Schools. (We wrote recently about the challenges faced by CEIBS, a Shanghai-based business school, as it tries to launch into the top tier of programs worldwide.)

One big driver: The growing number of short, specialized master’s degrees in subjects such as finance and accounting are attracting record numbers of Chinese students to business schools.

Nearly half of all first-time international enrollments were in business or engineering.

But Chinese students aren’t the only ones clamoring for U.S. degrees. Overall, first-time enrollment by international students increased by 8% this year, tying the prior year as the largest gain since the 2005-2006 academic year (there was a 12% jump then).

India and South Korea round out the top three countries of origin for international students, collectively contributing about half of all non-U.S. citizens attending U.S. graduate schools on temporary visas. Responding schools reported a modest 1% gain from Indian students, but that still suggests rebounding demand after the financial crisis. First-time enrollment by Indian students tumbled 16% in the 2008-2009 academic year, and another 3% in 2009-2010 before moving back into the black last year with a 2% gain. South Kora still notched a decline – of 2% — but it also is showing signs of improvement after the economic turmoil of recent years.

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